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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. T. 8v W. H. OOLDWELL.

LAWN MOWBR. I No. 273,469. l Patented Mar. 6,1883.

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T. 8u' W.. E. GOLDWELL.

LAWN MOWJBR. l1\To.f2'3,l169. Patented Mar. 6,1883.

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' cutter, C, which has its ends pivoted upon the Ntra STATES VATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS UOLDWELL AND WILLIAM H. COLDWELL, 0F NEVVBURG, N. Y.

LAWN-'li/lOWER.l

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 273,469, dated March 6, 1863.

Application filed December 18, 1882. (No model.)

To all 'whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that we, THoMAs COLDWELL and WM. H. OOLDWELL, of Newburg, in the county of Orange, and in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lawn-Mowers; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,.maliing a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lawnmower containing our improvement-s. Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-section ofthe same upon a line passing from front to rear. between the ground-wheels. Fig. 3 is an velevation of the inner side of one of said ground-wheels, the covering or frame plate being removed; and Fig. 4 is a section upon a vertical line drawn through Fig. 2. v

Letters ot' like name and kind refer to like parts in each ofthe figures.

The design of our invention is to increase the efficiency and ease of operation of lawnmowers; and to this end it consists principally in the construction and operation of the gearing employed for connecting the groundwheels with the wiper-shaft, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified.

It consists, further, in the means employed for protecting the wiper from entanglement with weeds, high grass, or shrubbery, substanx tially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown.

In the annexed drawings, A and Arepresent two circular plates, whichare connected together and held irl-relative parallel positions by means of two rods, B and B, that extend between the same, and by means of a straight said plates.

and longitudinally is formed upon the line of a spiral, said wiper thus constructed having the usual form and operating upon and in conn'ection with the cutter C in the usual manner. The shaft D is journaled in the plates A, and in order that a suflicient length of bearing may be had and bearings furnished for the groundwheels E each of said plates is provided with a hub that extends outward in both directions, as shown, and has a length equal to about twice the width of one of said wheels.' The outer portion, tt, of said hub is' in the form of a plain cylinder, and has suflcient thickness outside of said shaft to give to it the necessary strength, while the inner portion, c', of said hub is expanded radially, as shown in Fig. 4, and forms a recess for the reception of a pinion, F, that is secured to and revolves with said shaft.

The wheels E consist each of a plain disk provided at its outer face with a central hub, e, which corresponds to and lits over the outer part of the hub a', while from the inner face of said disk a peripheral ange, e', extends inward and forms the tread or bearing-face of said wheel. The inner face of said flange is provided with gear-teeth e2, so as to make of said Wheel a female or internal gear.

Pivoted centrally upon the inner face of the frame-plate A, by means of a pivot-bolt, G, midway between the teeth c2 and the periphery of the pinion F, is a plate or yoke, G', upon the ends of which are journaled two pinions, g and g', that have each the same or substantially the same diameter as said pinion F. Said pinions g and g mesh with each other, and by the movement of said plate G' may respectivelyr be caused to mesh with said teeth e2 and said pinion F, to -permit of which operation the huh a is cut away upon the side adjacent to said pinion g. as shown in Fig. 3. The engagement of the pinions g and g with the `teeth e and pinion F causes the motion ot' the wheel E to be communicated to the shaft D, and the latter to rotate in the same direction as said wheel. When the wheel E is moved in a forward direction the positions of the pinions g and g with relation to the teeth e2 and pinion F cause said parts to draw toward each other and to remain in engagement; but if the mo- IOO tion of said wheel E is reversed the pressure upon said pinionsg and g will cause them to automatically move ont of engagement with said parts, and by thus breaking the connection between the same cause the said shaft D to cease its rotation. When said wheel E is again rotated in a forward direction said pinions g and g are instantly drawn into engagement with said teeth e2 and pinion F, and are held in such engagement while motion in the direction last named is continued. A suitable stop is provided to limit the motion of the plate G', so as to prevent the teeth of said pinions from meshing too deep with their engaging parts. As thnsarranged the oscillatingpinions operate as pawls, and cause the shaft to be rotated whenever the machine is moved forward and to be at rest when said machine is moved in an opposite direction. As no springs are used in connection with said parts, and as they are wholly disconnected from each other, when said machine is moved backward no noise is caused and all unnecessary wear of parts is avoided.

The machine is moved by means of a handle, H, which is attached to the rods B, or in other suitable manner is connected with-the stationary parts. In order that the cutting mechanism may be prevented from coming into contact with shrnbbery, or with articles which might clog or injure said mechanism, a shield, I, composed preferably of wire-cloth, is secured upon the said rods B, and extends laterally between the plates A and from the upper part of the machine forward and downward to or near the vertical position of the stationary cutter C. The lower portion of said shield has preferably only vertical Wires, so as to permit the same to pass freely over grass. The shield described enables the machine to be safely used among and around shrubbery without danger of injury to thelatter or to the cutting mechanism, by which means work may be done that has heretofore required the use of hand-shears, and a material saving in time and expense is effected.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of our invention, what we claim as new 1s- 1. In a lawn-mower, the combination of an internally-toothed driving or ground wheel, a pinion secured upon the wiper-shaft, and two engaging-pinions journaled upon a pivoted plate and adapted to be moved into or out of engagement with said parts by the rotation of said wheel in opposite directions, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In combination with a lawn-mower, a shield secured upon its front side and extending nearlyr to the ground, and having its front lower portion formed of vertical fingers, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands.

THOMAS COLDWELL. WM. H. GOLDWELL. Witnesses:

GEO. S. PRINDLE, HENRY G. HAZARD. As to Wm. H. Coldwell: WM. N. MINTY, HENRY B. KNIGHT. 

